General

We are currently receiving many inquiries from uncertain clients regarding the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). During an initial analysis of the homepage, it immediately becomes apparent that most clients use an analysis tool - mostly Google Analytics or Matomo (formerly Piwik). Such tools are useful and indispensable for good online marketing. But now the question arises: to what extent can these tools still be used to be compliant with the GDPR? Admittedly, we…

Company Managers and British Parent Companies of German Subsidiaries better take this issue very seriously, because the German version of the GDPR is much stricter than the GDPR rules as applied in the UK. So if you are running a business in Germany, you should ensure that your German company is in full compliance. For instance in accounting and human resources. Because the German business mentality is to torture competitors with costly cease and desist…

Sooner or later, every international law firm faces the problem of their name being used for spam mails or fraud attempts. Currently, i.e. April 2018, it seems to be our turn. Some idiots have sent out thousands of emails claiming to be "Grafpartners-Solicitors". These spam emails look like this and come with an attachment: Please do not open the attachment and also do not respond to them, since we have nothing to do with this.…

Although Germany and Britain are comparatively liberal and progressive societies, we are fully aware that the struggle against hate, discrimination and bigotry is far from over. Our firm of German and British lawyers supports openness, diversity and equal rights for all sexual orientations and gender identities. We welcome clients from the LGBT community both in Germany and the UK and we provide legal advice in all areas of law, from family law (e.g. same sex…

Stats & Figures for Germany In case you plan to expand your business into Germany, it may be a good idea to get familiar with some stats and figures. The German Federal Statistical Office (DESTATIS), based in Wiesbaden, is constantly publishing data and projections regarding German economy in general as well as regarding various economic sectors. Furthermore, you can find all kinds of statistics regarding environment, society, social security and state. Most services are also…

In case you need to look into the wording of specific German legislation you can find many relevant German statutes on the website of the German Department of Justice (here). The central codification is the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch), which is available for download here: German_Civil_Code_in_English_language. The litigation department of Graf & Partners runs the expert law blog on German Civil Procedure Rules (here). On that blog, you will also find a comprehensive list…

The website where English solicitors and German advocates (Rechtsanwälte) with years of professional experience in cross border legal proceedings provide information and practical tips in a comprehensive, understandable and user oriented manner. Enjoy reading and do not hesitate to contact us if you need additional information. The team of Graf & Partners